Preview, Review, Re-review

Published on Thursday, February 10, 2011 in News. 0 Comments

Love them or hate them review sites are growing in popularity and when used, rather than abused, are a great resource of information when booking a holiday.

Growing popularity has also meant sites are coming under increasing scrutiny, with hoteliers accused of placing false positive reviews as part of an Internet Marketing Strategy — or guests accused of posting overly negative ones in hope of getting an unfair refund. Plying your way though all the information out there to find what you need is becoming more difficult then ever.

Back in October, a Bournemouth-based reputation management firm, KwikChex, brought together around 400 establishments to take on Trip Advisor in a  group defamation action. Basically they are accusing sites such as Trip Advisor for hosting damaging reviews that are unfounded and infactual. Last month the battle against review sites took another twist when one of Britain’s most famous, successful, businessmen, Duncan Bannatyne joined the fight.

Sites such as Trip Advisor and Review Centre are being targeted by hoteliers and travel companies as there seems to be increasing number of negative reviews that are infactual and damaging against the property. These negative reviews were described as ‘rogue’ by Duncan Bannatyne, who also expressed that he was being bullied by the sites in question. Though it is possible to reply to bad reviews it is difficult to get damaging reviews that don’t offer any evidence to their claims to be removed.

They also host reviews where people are either voicing a gripe against a hotelier or restaurateur, or are unaware of their surroundings. For example if you were to look at review of the Ritz you would find complaints of a stuffy hotel and my particular favourite where someone complains that being dressed ‘head to toe in Armani’ while carrying ‘a Prada handbag’ wasn’t deemed the correct attire for the restaurant. Designer clothes in no way guarantee elegance and as a recent customer in their restaurant you are politely reminded that gentlemen should wear a jacket and tie, and jeans and casual clothes are not appropriate. I happened to have a great experience, yet have not written a review, and firmly believe that the world’s top and most famous hotels should stand by their traditions.

Now this isn’t to say that review sites are bad, but it does highlight the need to be careful when using these sites. There are more people out there who will write about a negative experience then those who have enjoyed a positive one. It is quite possible that hoteliers are writing reviews to ‘up’ their ratings and even write false reviews about their competitors. Therefore with this in mind here are a few tips on using review sites.

Top Tips To Review Site Success

  • First of all take the best and worst review(s) with a pinch of salt, these are the most likely to be over-inflated opinions or self-promotion.
  • Consider who has written the article, if a couple has gone to a family resort, or the nouveau riche are in a traditional hotel, they may not represent who the holiday, hotel or restaurant are aimed for.
  • Take into account when the review was written, if they talk of a calm resort in mid May, the place could be heaving during the school holidays and vice versa, if the place was too crowded but the review is mid August then you know why.
  • Read between the lines — does the review sound like sumptuous brochure copy or could it be an unprovoked personal assassination?
  • Take as many reviews into consideration as possible. Everyone has different standards, expectations and reviews.
  • Consider the product, as mentioned the Ritz isn’t for everyone and I recently travelled to a Club Med that was slated by someone due to the lack of English nationals — this was a French-run hotel in Italy, what did they expect? Plus I had a great time avoiding the typical Brits abroad.
  • Read the details, if someone booked a week’s catered holiday in the Alps for £300 last minute will it really compare to the £1,000 they spent last winter?
  • Avoid irrelevant rants, people will often slate a property due a problem that was nothing to do with the hotelier or tour operator. People who are injured on holiday can be terrible for this, they just want someone else to blame.
  • Look at how many reviews the reviewer has posted, if it is their only review, or they only ever complain, then they may not be the most reliable source.
  • Also look at the number of reviews the holiday has had, whether a brand new cruise ship or a B&B in Whitby, the more reviews the better.
  • Consider the date of the review, it could be two weeks, two months or two years old and properties may have changed hands, had a refurb or gone to the dogs in that period.
  • Last but not least try Twitter, you’ll be surprised how many people will happily offer advice and opinions, especially if you search the hotel / resort in question.

Don’t get me wrong I think review sites are fantastic, I also agree with the likes of Duncan Bannatyne sticking up for themselves. The moral of the story is to gain as much information and advice as possible and to consider the reviewer’s background or experience to what you are looking for. I have used Trip Advisor to help me chose between hotels, resorts and B&Bs for years, though have yet to let it sway me due to an overly positive or negative post. These sites are a great resource and 40 million users (Trip Advisor’s figures for 2010) show that, but they need to be approached wisely, as opposed to being taken as fact.

Barcelona v Southampton

Published on Tuesday, August 17, 2010 in Cruise. 0 Comments

The Battle of the European Cruise Ports

Traditionally Southampton has been the main port for UK cruisers and has been the main port in Europe for English-speaking ships. Home to the world’s most famous cruise line Cunard and the quintessentially British P&O Cruises.

Barcelona is now making an impact on Southampton’s crown, with low cost airlines growth, fly cruises have become more popular and cruises to the Med are attracting some of the world’s top cruise ships.

With Mark Hughes and cruising being the main links between the cities, would comparing ports be like comparing their great football clubs, or more akin to comparing Matt Le Tissier with André Iniesta?

Port v Port

Barcelona and Southampton offer two very different options as cruise terminals. Cruises from Southampton offer easy access, cruise only holidays. Okay so parking can be a pain, but it’s much easier than having to worry about the luggage restrictions of flying. Instead of spending your morning in an airport lounge you can stroll straight onto your ship in time for lunch.

Cruises from Barcelona are an ideal way of enjoying a variety of Med Cruises. You can add a few nights in one of Europe’s finest cities and there are itineraries from 7 to 11 nights on a variety of ships.

The two ports are really quite different. Barcelona is similar to its football club. The capital of Catalonia is full of culture, vibrancy and flair. Steeped in history and enjoying a diverse and cosmopolitan atmosphere. Southampton is a city full of history and legend, but no longer lives up to its former glory days. Plus it rains more in Southampton!

Ships Ahoy

The two destinations boast a superb variety of ships, from some of the largest at sea to six star über liners.

Southampton is the home of British cruising and throughout the year you can choose from the luxurious Cunard Fleet, such as the much awaited Queen Elizabeth, P&O’s full selection of stunning ships, including their newest and largest ships the Ventura and Azura, and the traditional and smaller understated Fred. Olsen ships. There is also the glitz and glamour of one of the largest ships to be based in Europe, the Independence of the Seas, the American-style luxury of the Celebrity Eclipse and two of Princess’ favourites the Crown Princess and Grand Princess. Throw in the high-end, ultimate luxury of Regent Seven Seas Voyager and the Italian-style, more causal fun of the MSC Opera and you have something for everyone.

Barcelona in return offers a selections of some of the finest four & five star ships to grace the European seas. Sister ship of the Independence, Liberty of the Seas and NCL’s latest offering, the Norwegian Epic are the other two of Europe’s three largest ships. The much anticipated Celebrity flagship Celebrity Solstice and Holland America’s newest luxury liner, the Nieuw Amsterdam are top of the 5 star luxury list. The Ruby Princess offers a more understated answer to American-style cruising and Disney Magic is perfect for families. For a real Med feel MSC’s top ships the MSC Splendida and MSC Fantasia are both cruising from Barcelona. And to top it all off the two six star, all-inclusive, and rather elegant ships that are the icing on the cake are Silver Seas’ Silver Wind and the Regent Seven Seas Mariner.

The Winner Is…

To sum up the cruise ships on offer Southampton has a great selection of British-style ships, and can offer more variety in destinations, with the Med, the Canaries, the Baltics and Transatlantic all regular offerings. The port is easier to get to for most of us and accounts for the vast majority of British cruisers.

Barcelona on the other hand offers more ships with American and Italian-style glamour, some of the newest ships to escape the Caribbean and fantastic year round weather. To top it off they also have a better football team, that even Le Tissier would struggle to get in!

British elegance, a variety of destinations and the lack of need for flights definitely has its benefits, but a few days of Catalan culture, a trip to the Camp Nou and the wonderful weather of the Med definitely sways me. You can check out both these ports with this cruise deals widget. Only problem now is which cruise deals choose!